Decoding Syria: Know how and why a state is in war with itself!
Everyone who follows news or not but on
social-media platforms knows that something is going on in a part of world called
Syria. Few know what it is but don't know why and those who know why too,
wonder why US president Obama is pitching for war against state of Syria. This
piece is for all such enthusiasts who know bits and wish to explore more.
To know exactly what is going on in Syria and why is a challenge in itself. On basic note as New York Times says it: Syria and its history are actually complicated. So mastering its happenings ditto is long, tedious and near impossible task. Let us not deal the same.
To begin with, Syria is a country in middle-east, along the eastern shore of Mediterranean Sea with population of 22 million. It is diverse, ethnically and religiously, but most Syrian’ are ethnic Arab and follow Sunni branch of Islam. Presently it is in the middle of extremely violent civil war, fighting between rebels and government forces has killed 100,000 and has created 2 million refugees, half of them are children. All this since the uprising against president Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
Actually the one who rule Syria are from minority sect and fear if they give up to uprising, then they will face serious threat to their own life.
The kill started from April 2011, when peaceful protests inspired by earlier revolution in Egypt and Tunisia rose up to challenge dictatorship running country. On the other hand Assad's regime with inspiration & experience from similar earlier encounters turned monstrous - security forces quietly killed activists, started kidnapping, raping, torturing and killing activists and their family members, thereby dumping their mutilated bodies by the sides of road. These cruel confrontations with life made innocent civilians fear for their life and when death happens to look inevitable, nobody believes in hiding inside a dungeon but one inevitably musters courage and retaliates with all his strength. Obvious enough, civilians started shooting back. And with time Syria turned into war place - a furnace from ugly battles.
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is facing the most serious challenge to his rule since he came to power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez.
He initially sought to present himself as reformer. The country did underwent a degree of political liberalization, with hundreds of political prisoners being released, dissidents allowed to speak openly, and few more steps towards easing restriction on media. But things didn't last long. Sooner than ever, good was overpowered by bad, worst in fact and then emerged a state of "liberalized authoritarianism" rather than the promised democratic rule. President Assad has proved with his actions that he is no different from his late father.
Security officials in Syria have been ordered to crush the dissent that begun since March 2011 but however brutal the blows might have been from government forces, uprising had continued and has showed no sign of slowdown which has further worsened the situation. For now, no side is ready to back down but is adamant enough to finish the other.
Syria might have been on boil since 2011 but no nation, not even America, which boasts itself of being world leader bothered to step in although situation was getting critical with each new day. But recent chemical attacks on civilians by President Assad's troops which have killed innocents who never intended for bloodshed has particularly caught attention of US. One might ask, bullets have killed more people than chemical attack has recently, what is big deal in it? Yes, numbers are short than earlier arms attack but then, it's not casualties that has made international community furious but use of a method - the chemicals in warfare.
The Geneva Convention forbids use of chemical attack in warfare and Syria has exactly violated it, which provides ample reasons for US to stage a war against state of Syria.
War on Syria looks inevitable, mostly evident after US president Barack Obama's speech on same. Most nations have already started picking side. For US to win over Syria alone, is no big challenge but, Syria isn't alone, Russia and China are likely to support Assad's quest. Russia needs money, and Assad requires arms and ammunition to counter rebel forces, in short, they've found common line of interest to shake hands with a grin. Moreover Russia has its important naval base on Syrian soil which it needs to safeguard.
To know exactly what is going on in Syria and why is a challenge in itself. On basic note as New York Times says it: Syria and its history are actually complicated. So mastering its happenings ditto is long, tedious and near impossible task. Let us not deal the same.
To begin with, Syria is a country in middle-east, along the eastern shore of Mediterranean Sea with population of 22 million. It is diverse, ethnically and religiously, but most Syrian’ are ethnic Arab and follow Sunni branch of Islam. Presently it is in the middle of extremely violent civil war, fighting between rebels and government forces has killed 100,000 and has created 2 million refugees, half of them are children. All this since the uprising against president Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011.
Actually the one who rule Syria are from minority sect and fear if they give up to uprising, then they will face serious threat to their own life.
The kill started from April 2011, when peaceful protests inspired by earlier revolution in Egypt and Tunisia rose up to challenge dictatorship running country. On the other hand Assad's regime with inspiration & experience from similar earlier encounters turned monstrous - security forces quietly killed activists, started kidnapping, raping, torturing and killing activists and their family members, thereby dumping their mutilated bodies by the sides of road. These cruel confrontations with life made innocent civilians fear for their life and when death happens to look inevitable, nobody believes in hiding inside a dungeon but one inevitably musters courage and retaliates with all his strength. Obvious enough, civilians started shooting back. And with time Syria turned into war place - a furnace from ugly battles.
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is facing the most serious challenge to his rule since he came to power in 2000 following the death of his father, Hafez.
He initially sought to present himself as reformer. The country did underwent a degree of political liberalization, with hundreds of political prisoners being released, dissidents allowed to speak openly, and few more steps towards easing restriction on media. But things didn't last long. Sooner than ever, good was overpowered by bad, worst in fact and then emerged a state of "liberalized authoritarianism" rather than the promised democratic rule. President Assad has proved with his actions that he is no different from his late father.
Security officials in Syria have been ordered to crush the dissent that begun since March 2011 but however brutal the blows might have been from government forces, uprising had continued and has showed no sign of slowdown which has further worsened the situation. For now, no side is ready to back down but is adamant enough to finish the other.
Syria might have been on boil since 2011 but no nation, not even America, which boasts itself of being world leader bothered to step in although situation was getting critical with each new day. But recent chemical attacks on civilians by President Assad's troops which have killed innocents who never intended for bloodshed has particularly caught attention of US. One might ask, bullets have killed more people than chemical attack has recently, what is big deal in it? Yes, numbers are short than earlier arms attack but then, it's not casualties that has made international community furious but use of a method - the chemicals in warfare.
The Geneva Convention forbids use of chemical attack in warfare and Syria has exactly violated it, which provides ample reasons for US to stage a war against state of Syria.
War on Syria looks inevitable, mostly evident after US president Barack Obama's speech on same. Most nations have already started picking side. For US to win over Syria alone, is no big challenge but, Syria isn't alone, Russia and China are likely to support Assad's quest. Russia needs money, and Assad requires arms and ammunition to counter rebel forces, in short, they've found common line of interest to shake hands with a grin. Moreover Russia has its important naval base on Syrian soil which it needs to safeguard.
US have other complex strategic woes too.
It is evident from recent chemical attack in Syria that Assad's regime has used
a chemical compound called Sarin to crush the spirits of rebels. Some elements
of Syrian chemical weapons complex may be buried underground but large parts of
it can easily be seen on satellite images. Much of it is reasonably close to
populated areas - and that is the problem. Attacking such sites with regular explosive bombs may
open up chemical weapons stocks to air, disperse them over a large area, and
potentially cause large civilian casualties.
2013 is reminding images of Iraq 2003 all over again, this time with Obama, Cameron and Assad instead of Bush, Blair and Saddam.
President Obama may sound powerful and war ready but is in no hurry to jump into furnace and get himself burned. Iraq has been a bad example; Syria could be the worst if not handled carefully. However clever and wise strategy America may employ but it would be Syria which would be at receiving end. It had already lost many; still more will get churned by war.
UN refugee agency in a statement said that more than two million Syrians were now registered as refugees. It said: "Syria is haemorrhaging women, children and men who cross borders often with little more than the clothes on their backs."
Meanwhile Sweden has announced it would become first European country to grant asylum to all Syrian refugees who apply. It has taken 14,700 asylum seekers from Syria since 2012.
Many countries have already taken sides. War has rarely solved the probably of this world, in fact, it has aggravated them at few places.
When two people start quarreling, it's no wise to stand at distance and watch the show nor is it advisable to jump into battlefield, take side, fight and crush the other. It's no win-win situation. Win-win situation could be when someone wise jumps into arena and succeeds in striking peace-cord with the two. Who that one man will be is hard to guess, at least for now.
India certainly is one nation at which people have looked to at tricky situations like this and to everyone’s dismay, it has delivered most of the times. There are people in India who have rose themselves to such occasions and in many instances have helped in finding common ground on which everybody could rest his foot. No doubt, peace alone is the answer and peace has rarely been achieved through warfare; warfare could buy you few things but remember, they blast once the pressure eases and one never desire it, not in case of Syria, for it already has witnessed enough, not anymore!
Do post your views on your nations stand and yours in particular in command section below.
with factual inputs from BBC and New York Times.
2013 is reminding images of Iraq 2003 all over again, this time with Obama, Cameron and Assad instead of Bush, Blair and Saddam.
President Obama may sound powerful and war ready but is in no hurry to jump into furnace and get himself burned. Iraq has been a bad example; Syria could be the worst if not handled carefully. However clever and wise strategy America may employ but it would be Syria which would be at receiving end. It had already lost many; still more will get churned by war.
UN refugee agency in a statement said that more than two million Syrians were now registered as refugees. It said: "Syria is haemorrhaging women, children and men who cross borders often with little more than the clothes on their backs."
Meanwhile Sweden has announced it would become first European country to grant asylum to all Syrian refugees who apply. It has taken 14,700 asylum seekers from Syria since 2012.
Many countries have already taken sides. War has rarely solved the probably of this world, in fact, it has aggravated them at few places.
When two people start quarreling, it's no wise to stand at distance and watch the show nor is it advisable to jump into battlefield, take side, fight and crush the other. It's no win-win situation. Win-win situation could be when someone wise jumps into arena and succeeds in striking peace-cord with the two. Who that one man will be is hard to guess, at least for now.
India certainly is one nation at which people have looked to at tricky situations like this and to everyone’s dismay, it has delivered most of the times. There are people in India who have rose themselves to such occasions and in many instances have helped in finding common ground on which everybody could rest his foot. No doubt, peace alone is the answer and peace has rarely been achieved through warfare; warfare could buy you few things but remember, they blast once the pressure eases and one never desire it, not in case of Syria, for it already has witnessed enough, not anymore!
Do post your views on your nations stand and yours in particular in command section below.
with factual inputs from BBC and New York Times.
Comments
Post a Comment